


The things I would do for you (and Quidditch)

by LivelyColorfulWorld



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Angst, Enemies to Lovers, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Gryffindor Lee Jeno, M/M, Sexual Tension, Slytherin Na Jaemin, j dont wanna spam lmao, lots of mentioned nct members :), not too much tho imo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-05
Updated: 2020-04-05
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:02:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23486497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LivelyColorfulWorld/pseuds/LivelyColorfulWorld
Summary: Since their 5th year, Na Jaemin and Lee Jeno have been at each other's throats, much to the confusion of everyone around them. But after getting in trouble for their many mistakes during the first Quidditch match of the season, they have two choices: become civil with each other, or resign from their Quidditch teams. Mark and Donghyuck have other plans for the two of them, though, which ends up resurfacing repressed feelings for both Jeno and Jaemin.
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee, Lee Jeno/Na Jaemin
Comments: 45
Kudos: 455





	The things I would do for you (and Quidditch)

**Author's Note:**

> hi lovelies :)  
> it is day 428634 of me not knowing how to title things,, alas some things never change  
> I haven't posted something here in a few months short of two years which is kind of insane to think about lmao  
> I should update my two unfinished works but rn I'm more focused on writing stuff I want to write and I would want to read and this is the result! It's been sitting in my drafts for a while but I got motivation a few weeks ago and have been writing since :) This fic is overall very self-indulgent bc I used my three fav tropes but welp I'm happy w it :,)  
> also I started this fic around midnight months ago so some of the ages kinda wack but pls j roll w it  
> anywayss I hope you all will like this fic too !! happy reading yayy

Lee Jeno _hated_ Na Jaemin.

Jaemin knew it, all of Hogwarts knew it, Jeno’s third cousin and her dog knew it, and, well, you get the point. So when Na Jaemin walked into school on the first day of seventh year with freshly-dyed bubblegum-pink hair and acting like he owned the place, Jeno was ready to drop out of Hogwarts right then and there. 

Heaving a frustrated sigh, he trudged towards the Gryffindor table where Mark sat, animatedly talking to Chenle. He plopped himself down next to Mark and covered his face with his hands, letting out a muffled scream. Mark and Chenle immediately stopped talking and glanced over at him, concerned. 

“Well, you’re cheerful today!” Mark remarked, ruffling Jeno’s hair that had taken a solid hour to style. Chenle giggled in the background as Jeno batted away Mark’s hand, raising his head to glare at Mark. “Last year of using the bloody amazing Prefect bathroom, let’s enjoy it,” Mark said, completely unfazed by Jeno’s expression. This only prompted another loud groan from Jeno.

“Thanks, Mr. Head Boy,” he muttered.

“Why’s he so upset?” Chenle asked Mark, his eyes darting between the scowling Jeno and mildly amused Mark.

“Probably because Jaemin dyed his hair or something,” Mark guessed, and judging from the twentieth sigh Jeno let out, it’s clear he’s right. 

“How did he even notice? I didn’t know,” Chenle trailed off at the end and grinned in response to the death stare Jeno shot in his direction. Mark snorted.

“Jeno notices the smallest things about Jaemin before anyone else. Like last year, when he came back to the common room screaming that Jaemin got a tongue piercing.” 

“It was a fake one,” Jeno added unhelpfully. “Silver looks good on him,” he then mumbled, mostly to himself.

“What was that?” Chenle asked, hiding a shit-eating grin that indicated he heard Jeno perfectly. He poked at Jeno’s arm from across the table, unable to suppress his giggles.

“Nothing, leave me alone,” Jeno whined, batting away Chenle’s finger. “I’m utterly fucked for the year, someone kill me _please_.”

“Cheer up, it’ll be fine,” Mark reassured him. “I doubt you’ll run into him.” Jeno gave him a hesitant smile, still not completely happy with the circumstances. “I mean, if it makes you feel any better, Quidditch season is gonna be here before you know it.” Now at this, Jeno perked up. Mark grinned, knowing how much Jeno loved Quidditch.

“I finally saw the Montrose Magpies play during the summer! I really don’t think I was living until I saw them play. Angus Campbell is still so agile despite being the oldest on the team. His dives were so sm--”

Jeno’s ramble was cut short by a hand on his shoulder. He shifted his gaze up to the owner, only to be greeted by the smirking face of Na Jaemin. “Last year at Hogwarts, better make it count, Lee,” he said, the coy smirk not leaving his face for a second. Jeno huffed, trying to appear unaffected by Jaemin’s insufferable taunting. Jaemin was the only one in this damn school that could make his mood go sour so quickly. “See you on the Quidditch field.” Jaemin squeezed his shoulder, then removed his hand. 

He began to turn away when Jeno finally sneered, “Yeah, if you can make it on the team. You never know if the next best first year is gonna take your place; they might kick you off.” Jaemin turned back to Jeno with a scoff.

“Bold words, pretty boy.” Jeno pressed his lips into a thin line; it had been two years and his stomach still flipped whenever Jaemin used that nickname. So, logically, Jeno chose to flip off Jaemin, which helped relieve the weird feeling in his gut. Jaemin rolled his eyes then strode back to the Slytherin table, leaving a fuming Jeno behind.

“I hope he chokes on a Quaffle,” Jeno muttered, glaring daggers at Jaemin’s retreating back. Mark patted his back sympathetically.

“Don’t mind him, Jeno. Anyways, what were you saying about the Magpies?” Mark asked, propping his head up with a hand. Jeno smiled gratefully at Mark before continuing his ramble about the “best Quidditch team in Europe.”

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

“Okay, guys, we can definitely win this game. We’ve been practicing really hard, and I know we have what it takes, just don’t get distracted.” Hyunjin paused his pep talk to pointedly glance at Jaemin, who sheepishly smiled in response. “Remember the new plan we have, it’ll guarantee us a win. Ready?” The Slytherin Quidditch Team erupted into cheers as they sprinted onto the pitch. Gryffindor was already surrounding their captain, Lee Felix, getting them ready for the game.

“Good luck, Jinnie,” Felix told Hyunjin, shooting him a thumbs up. 

“We don’t need it,” Hyunjin replied with a chuckle, “but good luck to you guys, too.” Jaemin noticed Jeno standing to the side of the team, talking to another Gryffindor, Mark. Against all rational thought and Donghyuck’s loose grip on his wrist, Jaemin strode towards the Gryffindor with his trademark smirk.

“First game of the season, Lee. Nervous?” Jaemin teased, and had to stop himself from laughing when he saw Jeno purse his lips, probably to stop himself from snapping back. Quite a shame, too, because maybe Jaemin loves it when he does (not that he’d ever admit that, mind you). “What’s wrong, pretty boy? Forgot how to speak?” Jeno’s face suddenly flushed, either from anger or embarrassment, but finally getting a reaction out of Jeno made Jaemin grin. 

Mark stepped between the two, frowning at Jaemin. “Na Jaemin, I can easily take points from Slytherin,” he warned. Jaemin put on his most innocent smile, then winked at Jeno.

“See you on the field, pretty boy.” Jaemin turned on his heel and walked away. It was hard to stop

himself from looking back at Jeno, because yes, it was fun to rile up the Gryffindor. It was _way_ too easy to fluster him, too.

When he returned to the Slytherins, they were already mounting their brooms. Hyunjin raised his eyebrows at Jaemin, the latter nervously chuckling and mounting his broom, praying he hadn’t pissed off Hyunjin already. An angry Hyunjin was a terrifying one, Jaemin would know. He took off, making his way to the center of the pitch to wait for the game to start.

“Dude, what was that?” Donghyck flew up to Jaemin’s left. “As entertaining as it is, you’re gonna make Slytherin go into the negatives!” Jaemin mischievously grinned at him in response.

“Trust me, Hyuckie, Mark has a soft spot for me. He couldn’t take points from me even if he tried.” 

Donghyuck gagged. “Cocky bastard.” 

Jaemin blew him a kiss, giggling. “Only for you, Hyuckie.”

“Hello, and welcome to Hogwarts' first Quidditch game of the season! Today's game is Slytherin versus Gryffindor!” Chenle’s voice filled the arena, quickly drowned out by loud cheers from all the houses. “The players take their positions as Madam Hooch steps out onto the field to begin the game. This is going to be a tough game, wizards, witches, and magicfolk, I can feel it!” 

After directing Donghyuck to his assigned position for their new play, Jaemin flew towards the Quidditch chest, where the other two Slytherin Chasers and the three Gryffindor Chasers were waiting. The bludgers and Golden Snitch were released, quickly followed by the Quaffle Madam Hooch threw into the air. Hyunjin knocked the Quaffle towards Jaemin, who snatched it.

“And the game begins! Slytherin has possession of the Quaffle. Na Jaemin, 7th year Chaser-- ooh, that bludger came close! Luckily, Jaemin managed to dodge it, but Gryffindor beaters won’t give up that easily.” 

Jaemin cursed as another bludger came his way, barely missing him. Jaemin peeked behind him, spotting Jeno in close pursuit, wielding his bludger bat. “Merlin, Jeno, are you trying to kill me?” He called behind himto the other boy, not pausing his advance towards the goals. Seeing an opportunity, Jaemin quickly dove to the right, then shouted, “Hyunjin!” Said boy swooped down and caught the Quaffle Jaemin threw, before pulling up again and throwing it into a goal. 

“Ten points for Slytherin thanks to Hwang Hyunjin!” Chenle announced as the Slytherin stand roared in excitement. Hyunjin flew next to Jaemin and the two high-fived, before Hyunjin took off to grab the Quaffle from a Gryffindor Chaser, Felix. Jaemin noticed Hyunjin was beginning a play he wasn’t involved in, so he tuned the game out and flew to where Jeno was hovering, watchfully scanning the area for bludgers.

“We’re already ahead, Lee. Scared yet?” Jeno huffed, likely annoyed that Jaemin broke his concentration. 

“You wish, Na.” Jaemin flew back a meter in mock offense to Jeno’s words.

“Just ‘Na’? Not Jaemin,” at this, Jaemin flew right next to Jeno, noticing the way the boy shivered at the close proximity. Using the confidence boost, he added in a low voice, “or even Nana?” Jaemin paused, taking in the way Jeno’s face heated up and the grip on his broom tightened. Damn, he loved having this effect on Jeno. Steadying his own clasp on his broom, Jaemin smirked at Jeno before taking off to help Hyunjin, who was mouthing several curse words in his direction. He was going to get his ass yelled at later. “See you, pretty boy.” 

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Mark, who observed the exchange between Jeno and Jaemin from a distance, flew up to Jeno, who looked the most distracted Mark had ever seen him during a game. “You good?” Jeno shook his head, clearing his thoughts. 

“Na Jaemin is literally the most stuck-up, annoying, _frustrating_ prick I’ve ever met,” Jeno spat through gritted teeth, taking Mark aback. 

“Don’t think too much about it, Jeno. Just focus on the game,” Mark advised.

“Game… game,” Jeno thoughtfully repeated, and Mark sighed in relief, glad he defused the situation. The relief didn’t last long when Jeno suddenly exclaimed, “I just have to beat him at his own game!” Mark’s eyes practically popped out of his head as Jeno flew off towards Jaemin, ignoring Mark’s yells of protest.

Jaemin was hovering near the Gryffindor goals, calling out to Hyunjin, who was flying towards him with the intent to pass. A bludger came his way, so Jeno took his bat and aimed the black ball towards the end of Jaemin’s broom, throwing the younger off-track. Unfortunately for Jaemin, Hyunjin chose to pass the Quaffle right then, which allowed Heejin to grab the Quaffle and race towards the goals. Jeno watched and Jaemin tugged at his hair in frustration, scowling.

“What’s wrong, _Nana_?” Jeno asked. He had to stop himself from laughing when Jaemin’s eyes went wide at the nickname. 

“10 points to Gryffindor!” Chenle squealed, momentarily distracting Jeno. “Heejin ties up the score! The Snitch is still nowhere in sight; it sure would be a good time for either Seeker to find it, because it seems like both sides are in it to win it!”

“You’re good, Lee Jeno,” Jaemin began, regaining his composure. “But I’m better.” In a flash, Jaemin is holding the Quaffle and taking off towards the goals. Now, Jeno was about to pull out his own hair.

 _Jaemin, Jaemin, Jaemin. How is he so unaffected by literally everything?_ Jeno figured he just had to try harder. It wouldn’t be too hard… right? It shouldn’t be--

“Fuck, Jeno, look out!” Mark’s voice snapped Jeno out of his head, alerting him to the bludger that was careening towards him. On pure instinct, he lifted his bat and whacked the bludger away, causing it to crash into the Ravenclaw spectator stand. He winced when he heard the terrified cries of the Ravenclaws, and tried to ignore the dirty look Professor McGonagall gave him.

“Hyunjin passes to Jaemin, and he scores! 10 more points to Slytherin, while Gryffindor’s latest development is that Jeno’s managed to hit the Ravenclaw stand. Nice job, Jeno.” Jeno rolled his eyes at the sarcastic remark Chenle tacked onto the end of his commentary. 

“Struggling, pretty boy?” _Jaemin._

“Don’t you have a Quaffle to catch?” Jeno snapped. Jaemin shrugged, gesturing to the other end of the pitch, where the other two Slytherin Chasers were passing the Quaffle between them. 

“Am I distracting you, Jeno?” Jaemin asked with a pout, and Jeno would almost feel bad if he didn’t know Jaemin was being dramatic. 

“I don’t know, Nana, are you?” _Shit._ He didn’t mean to call Jaemin that unironically, but it just slipped out. That was _not_ a good thing.

“Well, you’re always distracting me, Jeno. About time I return the favor.” Jeno could feel his face heat up as he processed Jaemin’s words. _He distracted Jaemin? Since when? All they do is lob insults at each other._ Jeno turned to Jaemin to make a witty retort, but he was gone, already flying to the other side of the pitch and calling out to Sunwoo. Jeno quickly took off after him, noticing the bludger that was adjacent to Jaemin. If he could make it there in time, he could hit the bludger towards Sunwoo, hopefully distracting him for long enough to fumble with the Quaffle.

“Trailing me, Jeno? Cheap.” Jaemin called out to Jeno, grinning. 

“Shut it, Na.” The bludger was approaching Jaemin; if it hit him, then it would completely throw Jeno’s plan off. Before he could stop himself, he shouted, “Jaemin, to your right!” Jaemin glanced to the said direction, and when he saw the bludger, he let out a stream of curses and quickly dove to escape the bludger. Luckily, that gave Jeno a perfect opening to reach the bludger and prepare to hit it with his bat, aiming it right in front of him. If he hit the shaft of Sunwoo’s broom, that would definitely make him drop the Quaffle.

Unluckily, Jaemin chose that exact time to block Jeno’s path and distract him by just being _there_ , instead of any other place in the pitch at that moment. So when Jeno’s bat made contact with the bludger, it flew straight at Jaemin, hitting him square in the temple.

Jeno has never wanted to die more.

“Lee Jeno, one of the Gryffindor Beaters, hit Na Jaemin in the head! That’s a penalty, and, oh shit, Jaemin fell off his broom.” Chenle’s voice suddenly lost all of his mirth as he, too, saw the events unfolding.

Time seemed to slow down as he watched Jaemin plummet towards the pitch, unconscious. Jeno wanted to do something, but he was paralyzed in fright and his mind was racing too fast for him to form any coherent thoughts. Another Slytherin player, Donghyuck, was racing to catch up with Jaemin. He barely made it, colliding with Jaemin and protecting him from the brunt of the fall as the two tumbled onto the field together. Madam Hooch was already there, blowing the whistle and holding up a red card, while Madam Pomfrey helped Donghyuck up and moved Jaemin to a stretcher.

Jeno bit his lip. If only he wasn’t so distracted. _Fuck._

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Jaemin swore he wasn’t planning on getting hit on the head during the first Quidditch game of the season and then ending up in the Hospital Wing. But that’s how life works out, apparently. His head still hurt like hell; whenever he tried to move it, intense pain shot through his temple. Jaemin groaned, squeezing his eyes shut, and when he did so, he thought he heard a sharp intake from an area near him.

Which only made him want to open his eyes more, to find out who that person was.

Usually, Donghyuck was the one that waited for Jaemin to wake up, but he was impatient and almost always ended up yelling at Jaemin until he woke up, much to Madam Pomfrey's dismay. So it was definitely not Donghyuck waiting so quietly for Jaemin to wake up. 

Taking in a breath, Jaemin willed an eyelid open, cringing at the bright light that flooded his vision. He bit his lip, then finally opened the other eye, giving him a view of absolutely no one by his side. _Wait_. There was someone leaving the Hospital Wing, but Jaemin couldn’t make out their face. He watched as red and black robes slipped through the doors of the wing, leaving him alone.

But damn, if he wasn’t curious, then his name wouldn’t be Na Jaemin. So like any logical person, he quickly sat up and swung his legs over the bed, ignoring the pain flaring up in his head. Madam Pomfrey would have his head if she was here. As he reached over to grab his robes, he noticed a Gryffindor tie hanging on the same hook. _The person waiting here probably stayed overnight if they took off their tie. Could it be Jeno?_ Jaemin rolled his eyes at his wishful thinking, scoffing at himself. 

Jaemin quickly glanced around the wing, searching for Madam Pomfrey. Not seeing her, Jaemin took it as a sign to book it out of the wing as fast as possible, medicine be damned. He felt fine, anyways. After yanking on his green robes and stuffing the mystery tie into his pocket, Jaemin jogged out of the door, silently praying he wouldn’t trigger the bump on his temple to throb again. He only managed to make it a couple meters until he encountered a teacher, fortunately not Madam Pomfrey, but nearly running into Professor McGonagall wasn’t much better. 

“Mr. Na, glad to see you’re feeling better. I was just about to go get Mr. Lee, so why don’t you come with me to get him?” She smiled at him, but the glint in her eyes told Jaemin that he was in deep trouble. Jaemin gulped and nodded, following behind her like a dejected puppy. When they reached the Gryffindor Entrance, the Fat Lady eyed Professor McGonagall, then Jaemin, and it took everything in Jaemin’s power not to slink back.

“Looking for Lee Jeno, I suppose?” She questioned knowingly. Professor McGonagall clicked her tongue.

“Precisely. Do you know where he is?” 

“He left a few minutes ago with another boy, Mark Lee. They were talking about some kind of lost tie,” The Fat Lady explained, and Jaemin’s head began to spin, the tie feeling heavier in his pocket. “Oh look, there he is. Jeno!” Sure enough, Jeno and Mark were coming up the stairs behind Jaemin and Professor McGonagall.

“Mr. Lee, could I discuss something with you and Mr. Na in private, please?” Judging from the alarm that flickered across Jeno’s face, Jaemin knew they both were screwed. 

“Yes, ma’am,” he replied, walking over to stand behind Professor McGonagall, though careful not to stand too close to Jaemin. Merlin Forbid if he willingly stood less than a meter from Jaemin, how absurd! 

The silent walk was uncomfortable, but when they stepped into Professor McGonagall’s office, Jaemin realized he would definitely pick an awkward walk over being stared down by one of the most terrifying teachers at Hogwarts. “Your Quidditch match was absolutely disastrous,” she began, and the harsh truth made Jaemin look down at his shoes in shame. “First, Mr. Lee, if you were new to the sport, I could understand hitting a bludger into the Ravenclaw spectator stand. But as a 7th year, and having played on the Quidditch team since 3rd year? This behavior is _unheard_ of! I understand that accidents happen, but from what I’ve heard from your captains, it’s clear this was no unprovoked accident.” _Hyunjin, you snake._

“Yes, both of your captains came up to me in confidence after the game,” she continued. “Neither of them were particularly pleased with your performances. Hyunjin said he noticed you, Mr. Na, taunting Mr. Lee and likely riling him up, which resulted in your injury, and Felix told me that you, Mr. Lee, chose to go after Mr. Na instead of not letting the teasing affect you. However, both of your captains are too nice for their own good. Therefore, I’ll be the one giving you both a warning about this: if you two cannot settle your rivalry in a civil manner outside of the Quidditch Pitch, and continue to let it come between your daily lives and possibly endanger other students, I will have no choice but to remove you both from your respective Quidditch teams. You both are Prefects, and need to set a good example for the younger students. I know you both are capable young men, but this petty rivalry needs to stop.” Taking one last look at Jaemin and Jeno, she finished with, “You are now dismissed.” 

Jeno quickly nodded before jogging out, and Jaemin mirrored his actions. He knew Jeno for long enough to tell when the older was about to cry, and he’d be lying if he said he didn’t feel like shit about it. “Jeno!” Jaemin called out, running after him. Jeno whipped around, and Jaemin saw the tears threatening to spill. 

“What?” He snapped, but it sounded choked out. Jaemin impulsively wrapped his arms around Jeno, who let out a sob. When the latter surprisingly didn’t push away, he brought Jeno close to his chest and ran his fingers through Jeno’s hair; the action used to always calm him down.

“I’m sorry,” Jaemin murmured into Jeno’s hair, hugging him tightly. “I know how much Quidditch means to you. It’ll work out, okay? I’ll make sure it does. I’m sorry, Jeno.” Jeno’s hiccups began to subside as he clutched onto Jaemin’s robes. Merlin, Jaemin hated how easily he fell into old habits, but here was Jeno falling apart and Jaemin couldn’t stop himself. “Let’s go to the Prefect bathroom and get you cleaned up, alright? It’s just a couple flights of stairs.” He felt Jeno nod against his chest, so Jaemin slowly untangled Jeno from himself; he forgot how clingy Jeno was when he was upset. Jeno swiped at his eyes with his sleeves. 

“I still hate you,” he petulantly mumbled, pouting at the ground. 

“I know you do,” Jaemin whispered in reply with a sad smile. “Let’s go, baby.”

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

“I found my tie,” Jeno announced to Mark as soon as he entered the practically-empty Gryffindor dorms. Mark sat up on his bed, studying Jeno with a frown. 

“Why are your eyes red?”

“I found my tie!” Jeno repeated, slightly louder and not skipping a beat. 

“Jeno, were you crying?” Mark asked, concerned.

“I found. My tie.” Jeno said through gritted teeth, dangling the tie in front of Mark. Mark sighed and batted away the tie.

“Yes, you found your tie, good for you. Now are you ok?” At this, Jeno let out a drawn out groan and fell face-first onto Mark’s bed.

“I hate Na Jaemin,” he moaned, punching the bed like a child. “He had my tie. Gave it to me after helping me wash my face in the Prefect bathroom. He sucks at lying. He felt bad and said Donghyuck found the tie in Alchemy.” 

“Do you even take Alchemy?” 

“No.”

“Yeah, wow, he sucks. Anyways, continue.”

“I was in the infirmary until he woke up so there’s no way he managed to see Donghyuck before running into McGonagall.” Jeno rolled over, staring at the ceiling, then shifting his gaze to Mark. “Mark, he’s such a dumbass.”

“Okay, let me get this straight. You waited for a literal day for Jaemin to wake up, and _that’s_ why you missed your classes, you probably forgot your tie in the Hospital Wing, too, then he later helped you after you cried? When in this passage of events did you cry? You suck at storytelling, man. I’m confused as hell.” Mark wrinkled nose. “Explain later, though, because something else interests me: what even _is_ your relationship with Jaemin?” 

“I don’t even know.” Jeno grabbed Mark’s pillow and buried his face in it. “I really don’t know. One minute he’s taunting and teasing me, the next, he’s hugging me and calling me baby and _fuck_ Mark I’m so confused.”

“He called you _baby_?” Mark practically screeched, prompting Jeno to launch his pillow at Mark. 

“Shut up, that isn’t important,” Jeno huffed. 

“You’re literally a moody teenager. Jeno, we were just _talking_ about your relationship with Jaemi--”

“Okay, well, that doesn’t matter anymor--”

“You _like_ Jaemin, don’t you? As in _like-like?_ ” Mark squealed, and it took all of Jeno’s willpower not to sprint out of the Gryffindor dorms.

“You do realize we’re nearly fully-functioning adults, right?” Jeno deadpanned. Mark shrugged.

“Ignoring the fully-functioning part, then yes,” he replied with complete seriousness. “Should I ask if you _love_ him, Jeno?” Jeno let out a whine, feeling his cheeks heat up. “You’re literally one of those girls from Shoujo Mangas, Jeno, you’re too old for this, stop being so emotionally constipated.”

Jeno kicked Mark with a pout, though Mark’s pillow blocked his face. “Anyways, you won’t believe what McGonagall said,” Jeno began, changing topics.

“Geez, you suck at deflecting,” Mark commented, but let Jeno rant nevertheless. Mark looked rather disappointed that Jeno wasn’t continuing to talk about Jaemin, but Jeno appreciated having someone that would listen to his vents. He usually gave Jeno a good perspective on whatever he was upset about, anyways.

Jeno made a mental note that he was wrong; Donghyuck and Mark give the worst advice, and he should never go to them for help with problems.

“This is an awful idea,” Jeno remarked with crossed arms.

“For once, I actually agree. If you guys think getting along is going to be easy, you’re wrong as hell,” Jaemin spat. Mark exchanged a look with Donghyuck, both not buying what they were saying.

“Look, hear us out. McGonagall said you both need to get along in order to stay on the Quidditch team. And you both need a push, because judging from your guys’ history, it’s going to be hard.” Mark tapped his foot impatiently, gauging the reactions of Jeno and Jaemin.

“You need to get along asap if you want to make sure your spots are secured. So…” Donghyuck trailed off, smiling expectantly.

“Donghyuckie, Mark, you want us to pretend we’re _dating._ How’s that supposed to help anything?” Jaemin frowned, definitely not liking the plan.

“Yeah, what are we getting out of this?” Jeno added. 

“Besides staying on the Quidditch Team and getting McGonagall off your backs?” Mark asked, raising his eyebrows. “Isn’t that enough?”

“That’s enough to make us want to get along, not _date_ ,” Jaemin hissed out the last word with such intensity that it frightened Jeno for a moment. It clearly surprised Mark and Donghyuck, who worriedly glanced at each other.

“Okay, fine, we’ll both get you something from Hogsmeade,” Mark begrudgingly told the two, and they immediately lit up.

“Maaark,” Donghyuck whined,”I’m _poor._ ” Mark draped his arms around Donghyuck and Jeno wanted to gag at the PDA. 

“Please, Hyuckie,” Mark said, poking Donghyuck’s cheeks. At this rate, Jeno wasn’t sure what was more puke-worthy: watching Donghyuck and Mark flirt in front of him or dating Na Jaemin. Launching himself off the Astronomy Tower currently seemed like the best option.

Donghyuck sighed in defeat, though clearly hiding a smile from the way Mark’s cheek was pressed against his.“Fine, yeah, I’ll get something for Jaemin, and Mark’ll get something for Jeno. _But_ , this is only if you both manage to convince the entire school that you’re dating.”

“I want the latest broomstick model,” Jeno gushed as Jaemin simultaneously said, “Donghyuck, the newest broom model.” Donghyuck groaned while Mark wrinkled his nose.

“Do you know how expensive that is?” Mark asked. Jaemin and Jeno both lit up at the question, grinning.

“Yeah.”

“Duh.”

“Of course!”

“That’s why we’re asking for it!”

“Wait, why are you asking for it?” Jeno suddenly questioned Jaemin, whose eyes went wide. “Don’t your rich, famous parents always send you the latest models?” Jaemin chewed on his lip and fidgeted with his fingers.

“I, uh, sort of? No?” Jaemin fell over his words, clearly unsure how to reply. 

“Jeno, Jaemin wouldn’t ever miss an opportunity to use someone else’s money,” Donghyuck explained with an extremely forced laugh. Jeno didn’t miss the grateful smile Jaemin shot Donghyuck, but chose not to press further.

Mark detangled himself from Donghyuck and clapped his hands together, probably to get everyone’s attention again. “The plan starts tomorrow. See you all then. And you better make this believable, or the deal is off.” Before he could deal with any more protests, Mark grabbed Donghyuck’s hand and left the classroom, the two aimlessly chatting amongst themselves. Jeno swore he heard them saying something about “oblivious idiots” and “tension.” _Snakes._

“Meet me in the Gryffindor Common Room tomorrow at 7, after dinner. Don’t be late.” Before Jaemin had a chance to respond, Jeno stalked out of the classroom. 

Out of all the bad decisions he’s made, this was definitely going to end up being the worst. Jeno could feel it.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

“Jaemin!” Renjun called out to Jaemin once dinner was over, jogging up to him. “Not sure why, but Jeno told me to tell you the password for the Gryffindor Common Room is Firewhiskey.” Jaemin gratefully beamed at the Slytherin and nodded. “Don’t you guys hate each other, though? Why would he tell you the password?” 

“Oh, we’re dating now, Injun,” Jaemin nonchalantly explained. 

“ _What?_ ” Renjun suddenly started coughing and sputtering, Jaemin pausing to hit Renjun’s back in concern. “Since when?”

Jaemin giggled. “Since yesterday.” Renjun narrowed his eyes, clearly suspicious. 

“Who asked who out? Where did it happen? Where’s your first date going to be?” Renjun lobbed the questions at Jaemin, who nervously chuckled and picked up his pace. “Na Jaemin! Come back here!” Renjun ran up to Jaemin, trying to stifle his laughter.

“Fine, uh, I asked him out first. It happened in the empty Divination classroom, and the first date is where I’m going right now?” Jaemin squeaked out, attempting to stop himself from sprinting to the Gryffindor Entrance to escape the uncomfortable interaction. 

“Man, it’s been years and you’re just as bad at lying as you were in first year. Professor Trelawney basically never leaves the Divination classroom, so there’s no way it would be empty. Second, you’re a romantic, so you would have your first date by the lake at midnight or something cheesy like that.” Renjun smirked as Jaemin’s shoulders slumped in defeat. 

“God, you’re annoying,” Jaemin mumbled. “Also, sometimes the Divination classroom is empty." Renjun raised his eyebrows at Jaemin, clearly not believing him. Jaemin sighed, giving in. "Fine. We’re only fake-dating, but we’re supposed to trick everyone else and stuff."

“Well, you’re doing a bloody horrible job of that,” Renjun cheekily remarked. “Go figure out a story you both can agree on.” Renjun then flicked his wrist at Jaemin. “See you later. Be back at the dorms before midnight.” Jaemin nodded, then took off towards Gryffindor Tower, praying no teachers saw him. He’d already lost plenty of points for Slytherin by running in the hallways.

When Jaemin reached the portrait, the Fat Lady eyed him, somewhat confused. “Slytherin? Why’s a Slytherin here? The only one that usually comes to Gryffindor is that Donghyuck boy.” Jaemin scrunched up his nose. She tittered at his reaction. “They’re a cute couple, reminds me of when I used to be in such a cute relationship like that.” 

Jaemin could tell she was about to go on a tangent reminiscing about her past, so he hurriedly asked, “Can you please ask for the password? I’m kinda late for something.”

She huffed. “Fine. Password, not that you wou--”

“Firewhiskey.”

She rolled her eyes but opened her portrait nonetheless. Jaemin tossed a “Thanks!” over his shoulder as he scrambled into the common room. A few Gryffindors were sitting in it, Mark and Heejin sitting on the couch, a few first-years playing chess in the corner, and Jeno curled up in an armchair to the right of the crackling fire, reading a book. Jaemin approached him, trying to ignore the questioning looks shot at him and Mark’s not-so-subtle grin. 

“You’re late.” Jeno didn’t look up from his book, continuing to scan the pages. 

“Yeah, yeah, I know, Jeno,” Jaemin muttered, exasperated. He held out his hand. “Can we go to your dorm and talk about this in private?” The gesture finally got Jeno’s attention. His gaze shifted between Jaemin and his outstretched hand. 

“Just ‘Jeno’?” He asked, raising his eyebrows. “And I can get up by myself, thank you very much.” Jeno shut his book and began to lift himself out of his chair when Jaemin suddenly took his hand, pulling him up. “I _said_ \--”

“We need to act like a couple, okay, so just go with it,” Jaemin whispered. Jeno quietly groaned but gave him a small nod in response. 

“Seventh year dorms are on the third floor, remember?” The last word was barely audible, but Jaemin was able to make it out. He chose better than to comment on it, though. Jeno took Jaemin’s hand and led him to the staircase. Jaemin immediately stiffened, eliciting a giggle from the older. 

“We need to act like a couple, remember? What happened to Mr. Confident?” He teased lightly, making Jaemin’s cheeks turn bright red.

“Shut up.” 

They ascended the stairs in silence, Jaemin’s mind reeling from the fact that he was holding Jeno’s hand. Him! Na Jaemin! _Holding_! Lee Jeno’s! Hand! 

Jaemin was about to go up another flight of stairs when Jeno pulled him away with a hint of a smile. “The dorms are here, idiot. Pay attention.” 

“Right, sorry,” Jaemin mumbled. Jeno opened the door, revealing several plush beds, the red-and-gold theme adorning every inch of the space. It practically screamed coziness and comfort. “Merlin, I love this place.” 

“Don’t be a traitor to your own house, Jaemin,” Jeno said with a grin. Jaemin pouted but remained silent as Jeno guided him to his bed. “Robes and shoes off,” he instructed sternly. 

“Oh?” Jaemin asked, wiggling his eyebrows. Jeno glared at him.

“Na Jaemin, one more word out of you and I will not _hesitate_ to throw you off of Gryffindor Tower,” Jeno threatened. 

“Okay, okay, sorry,” Jaemin said, holding up his hands--and consequently Jeno’s hand, since they were still intertwined. Jeno huffed, removing his hand from Jaemin’s hold to cross his arms. 

“Now shoes and robes off.” Jeno kicked off his shoes and hung his robes on one of his bedposts, Jaemin doing the same. “See, was that so hard?” 

“Okay, whatever.” Jaemin threw himself onto Jeno’s bed, letting out a content noise at the way his body sunk into the comforter. 

“Sit up,” Jeno chided, slapping Jaemin’s back. Jaemin whined but sat up anyways, fixing Jeno with a frown. 

“That hurt,” Jaemin complained. Jeno shrugged in reply. 

“Okay, let’s figure this mess out,” Jeno began, looking everywhere except at Jaemin. _Ouch._

“So, fun story, Renjun knows about the fake-dating thing we have going on,” Jaemin confessed. Jeno’s jaw dropped open.

“Already? How the bloody hell?” 

“I can’t lie, like I _really_ suck at lying,” Jaemin paused when he thought Jeno said something along the lines of “no, really?”, but chose to ignore it and continue his story. “So he was suspicious and caught me on technicalities, so we need to figure out technicalities and stuff so there’s like an alibi.” 

“Renjun? The cute Slytherin beater?” Jeno asked curiously. 

“Yeah, is that all you care about?” Jaemin mumbled sourly, looking down at his lap. 

Jeno giggled, and it sounded like bells ringing and _wow_ , would he do anything to make Jeno laugh like that again. “Okay, what did Renjun ask?”

“Who asked out who, where did it happen, and where’s our first date going to be,” Jaemin counted off with his fingers. 

“The first one is easy; I asked you out, since I’m the Gryffindor and all.” Jeno has the audacity to wink at Jaemin, who playfully scowls.

“But I asked you out last time,” Jaemin blurted out in protest. He can feel the awkward silence that falls on them and wants to punch himself. Jeno then chuckled, but Jaemin could tell it was forced.

“I’m not a coward now, but whatever you say, Na. Next, where did it happen. Just say in the Hospital Wing, I don’t know,” Jeno suggested while tapping his chin.

“No, wait, that definitely works,” Jaemin said, perking up. “Maybe like, you waited for me to wake up, then confessed your undying love to me.” Now it was Jeno’s turn to frown, letting out a little “hmph”. 

“You wish.”

“Bold words, Jen. Maybe I do.” Jaemin stuck out his tongue at Jeno, who kicked his leg in reply, the ghost of a smile playing on his lips. 

“Save it for when we actually need to convince other people. But fine, that works, just without the ‘undying love’ part.” Jeno sensed Jaemin was about to speak up, so he quickly continued. “Next! First date. That’s easy. Hogsmeade, for sure.” Jaemin nodded in agreement. 

“Finally, follow my lead for PDA, I have some ideas,” Jaemin offhandedly told him. Jeno sighed.

“That doesn’t sound very promising.” 

“Well, do you trust me?” Jaemin knew the answer before he even asked the question, but it was worth a shot.

“No.” Jeno’s response was dull, making Jaemin wince.

“Well, I won’t do anything that’ll make you uncomfortable. And you know my boundaries, so if you ever want to initiate, go for it.” Jaemin decided he should really keep a counter for the amount of times he needlessly brought up the past. No, even better, he should give himself a galleon per time. He definitely would be richer than both of his parents combined. Jeno was still silent, so Jaemin took it as a sign to leave. “Good night, pretty boy,” he said, the familiar nickname rolling off his tongue. He stood up and put on his shoes, then slung his robes over his shoulder. “Sleep tight.”

Jeno thought Jaemin didn’t hear him, but Jaemin heard Jeno echo the same parting to him. Maybe this situation would turn out alright. 

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Jeno didn’t know which one he hated more; being woken up by Mark hitting him with his own pillow, or by Chenle jumping on his bed and screaming. But being woken up by a combination of the two? Now, they were just asking for death. After a few minutes of silent deliberation, he decided that today wasn’t the day to be sentenced to imprisonment on two accounts of first-degree murder, so he hesitantly sat up, then snatched the pillow in Mark’s hands to knock Chenle off of his bed. Holy shit, these were the days he wished he was sorted into Hufflepuff.

“Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up!” Chenle yelled, tugging at one of Jeno’s hands. “We’re gonna miss breakfast, and you know I can’t commentate properly without breakfast!” It was true; the last time Chenle missed breakfast before a Quidditch game, he ended up falling asleep in front of a mic, and Hufflepuff Park Jisung ended up having to take over. 

“Go without me,” Jeno responded, falling back onto his bed. “We’re not playing anyone, it doesn’t matter."

“Are you _crazy?_ ” Chenle screeched right into Jeno’s ear. Jeno began to hear a ringing noise in his ear. Was he dying? Thank Merlin, it’s about time. “Your boyfriend is playing today?”

“My boyfriend?” Jeno slurred. His mind was hazy, too clouded with sleep to allow him to think straight. 

“Yes, Jaemin, your boyfriend,” Mark spoke up loudly, enunciating every word. 

“Oh yeah, Nana, boyfriend,” Jeno agreed as he curled into a ball. 

“Nana?” Chenle asked. “You guys have dated for like, a week, and you already have nicknames for each other? Gross.” Jeno felt another pillow hit his back, probably one from a neighboring bed. “I’m ditching you both for breakfast. Hope you starve!” 

Once Jeno was sure Chenle left, he said, loud enough for Mark to hear him, “Chenle’s literally a two-year-old.” Mark barked out a laugh.

“Obviously. Also, you do have to get up, you’re expected to be at your boyfriend’s Quidditch game to cheer him on. Gimme your hands.” Jeno reluctantly did so. “Okay, up you go.” Mark yanked Jeno out of his bed, the latter groaning loudly at the loss of warmth. “Now go take a shower and make yourself look nice for your ‘Nana’. If you don’t make it to breakfast on time, I’ll save you a banana.” And of course, Mark was out the door before Jeno could say anything in response. At this point, he was thoroughly convinced all of his friends ran away before Jeno could say anything because they were just scared of his sharp, witty comebacks. Definitely.

“Go wish Jaemin luck before the game,” Mark hissed and jabbed Jeno in the side. Jeno paused shoveling scrambled eggs into his mouth to glare at Mark. “Jeno, go, you gotta sell the boyfriend act if you want that new broom.” Jeno took one final bite, then got up. 

“This is only for the broom,” he asserted, more to himself than to Mark. He pretended not to hear Mark’s incredulous “sure”, instead opting to march towards the Slytherin table, where Jaemin was sitting. Jaemin was discussing something with his housemates, breaking into laughter every now and then. Jeno needed to make his presence known, in a very obnoxious, Jaemin-like way. So when he reached Jaemin, he wrapped his arms around the Slytherin, and laid his chin on Jaemin’s head. He almost laughed at the way Jaemin froze, pausing mid-word. Jeno smirked. _Payback._

“Hi babe,” he purred into Jaemin’s ear, trying not to cringe at himself. He would probably regret this later, but the way Jaemin’s ears turned scarlet was enough to keep Jeno going. “Good luck at the game.” He heard Jaemin let out a shuddering breath, and--wait. Did Jaemin just _shiver?_ Because it sure felt like it, and damn is it doing things to him. “Just go along with it,” He murmured into Jaemin’s ear. “We gotta sell the act.” Right. It was an _act_. He didn’t have to remind himself it was all fake. It was obvious everything he was doing was fake. Crystal clear, made total sense, ten out of ten! 

Jeno’s internal rambling was cut off when Jaemin finally leaned into the embrace. Jeno’s eyes flitted to Jaemin’s face, whose eyes were closed, long eyelashes dusting over his cheekbones. His lips were curved into a small smile, and _Merlin_ did it make him want to die. Jaemin was truly a sight for sore eyes. And Jeno’s eyes were most definitely sore after accidentally walking in on Mark and Donghyuck making out last night.

“Thanks, baby,” Jaemin breathily replied, “I’ll win this one just for you.” 

“Don’t you always?” Jeno teased, suddenly feeling braver. He nibbled on Jaemin’s earlobe, enjoying the way he bit his lip with his eyes squeezed shut. 

“Stop it,” Jaemin whined, lightly swatting Jeno’s face. Jeno giggled. 

“See you, Nana.” With one more peck on Jaemin’s scarlet cheeks, Jeno walked away to the Gryffindor table, where he could hear Chenle bragging about how McGonagall is still letting him be an announcer despite cursing on the microphone. Mark, however, was staring at Jeno with an open mouth. 

“Damn, Lee Jeno,” he whistled. Jeno shrugged. 

“It’s only for the broomstick,” Jeno cheekily reminded him. Mark rolled his eyes at that. 

“Whatever you want to believe, Jeno.”

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

By the end of the second week, most of Hogwarts already knew Lee Jeno and Na Jaemin were dating. A lot of people didn’t seem to believe it, though. Most notably, Hyunjin and Felix. Donghyuck had let it slip to Hyunjin that “whoa, can’t believe Jeno and Jaemin are dating,” which didn’t end well on Hyunjin’s part, who ended up choking on a piece of chicken.

Jaemin had to admit, the jealous grumbles he heard here and there were worth it. Jeno had a lot more admirers than he probably thought, because if Jaemin had a tiny sickel for every “dammit, I was hoping to ask him out” Jaemin heard, he would’ve been able to buy the stupid Quidditch broomstick himself. Or at least be less broke. Yet, the whispers felt like someone was dropping entire galleons into his empty wallet. Maybe it was the possessive part of him that made him so pleased as well, because _he_ was dating Lee Jeno, no one else.

Well, fake dating. Obviously. Because there was no way on earth Jeno would actually date him again.

If anything, this whole ordeal made Jaemin realize two things: Jeno would do literally anything for Quidditch, and Jaemin would do anything for free things. Kind of pathetic on his part, but at least he was gaining things from this, right? He admired Jeno for his passion, though; Jaemin didn’t know what he was going to do with himself once he graduated, but Jeno’s dream has always been to become a famous Quidditch player. Jaemin knew Jeno loved Quidditch, he figured everyone did, but he had no idea it would go so far as dating the one person he hated at this school. 

Everyday, the routine was the same: after begging Mark for the password during Transfiguration, Jaemin would show up in the Gryffindor Common Room at 4:00 exactly. He was always greeted with groans and protests from whoever was sitting there then. But each time, Jeno would look up from his book from the armchair he was perched in with the cutest smile and each time Jaemin could feel himself melting. 

Jeno would pat the empty space next to him and Jaemin would oblige, nestling himself next to Jeno. Jeno would always make some kind of complaint, but Jaemin could tell he didn’t mean any of them. Jaemin would just nuzzle closer to Jeno in response, enjoying how warm Jeno was. They would sit like that for a while, sometimes even until supper. It felt so right, the way Jeno’s head fit into the crook of Jaemin’s shoulder, the way he would sometimes fall asleep and his soft breaths would tickle Jaemin’s neck. He was finally able to do so many of the things he’s wanted to do with Jeno, even if it wasn’t real. He could kick 5th year Jaemin and current Jaemin for that later.

When it was Friday, the scheduled Hogsmeade trip, Jaemin knew he had a dazzling opportunity to impress Jeno. One part of him knew Jeno would get suspicious from how invested Jaemin was, but Jeno was also an idiot, so he was counting on the fact that Jeno thought he really, _really_ wanted that broom. (Which he did, but admittedly, he wanted to hold Jeno’s hand a lot more.) 

Jaemin showed up at the door of Jeno’s last class, Astronomy, ready to unveil his master plan expertly titled “A date as cute as Lee Jeno.” 

Yeah, he was a sap, so what? He’s been trying to avoid giving into these thoughts since everything fell apart during the summer after 4th year. He thought he deserved to enjoy these moments while they lasted, because they probably wouldn’t last long.

As soon as Jeno emerged from the classroom, he made eye contact with Jaemin, who beamed. Jeno rolled his eyes, but Jaemin could’ve sworn he was hiding a smile. “What do you want?” Jeno asked, raising his eyebrows. 

Jaemin pouted, ignoring all of the “aw, they’re so cute” comments surrounding them. “Can’t a boy come to see his boyfriend after class?” 

Jeno snorted. “You’re gross.”

“And you like it.”

“But you’re annoying.”

“But you love it.”

“Merlin, you’re impossible.”

“And you’re mine, baby. Wanna go to Hogsmeade together?” Now, this wasn’t the ideal way to ask Jeno on a faux-date, but hey, whatever worked. And judging from the way Jeno’s cheeks flushed bright red, it definitely got the job done.

Jeno really had no choice but to accept, Jaemin knew that. But it still seemed like at least a part of Jeno wanted to go, so Jaemn decided to relish in the small victories. Of course, the next step in his plan was obliterated when Jeno announced to Jaemin that he was “absolutely not going to Madam Puddifoot’s.” because it was somehow cheesier than Jaemin. Jaemin took the hit and quickly improvised, which seemed to work out because as soon as they stepped into Sprintwitches Sporting needs, Jeno nearly combusted. 

He whizzed around the entire shop, little excited gasps escaping his mouth. “Jaemin, look! It’s Alasdair Maddock’s signed jersey from the Montrose Magpies! They’re such good fliers, and their tactics are always so unique! And their team dynamic, Merlin, Jaemin I would kill for teamwork like that. Can you imagine flying around in a huge stadium, everyone cheering you on?” As Jeno rambled with his eyes sparkling, Jaemin knew he made the right choice. He would take this over sugary, overpriced tea any day.

When Jaemin lost track of Jeno for only a minute (he had dived into a rack of Magpies merch), Jeno returned with two scarfs, a shirt, a jersey, and underwear. See, this normally wouldn’t have been an issue, but like the dumb bitch he was, Jaemin offered to pay. Jaemin, who had practically no money. Not one of his brightest ideas.

After some coaxing, Jeno finally agreed on just the scarves--one for him and one for someone else--and the jersey. Jaemin could feel his wallet dying in his robe pocket, but the way Jeno grinned and hugged his purchases close made it all worth it. 

As soon as they stepped outside into the frigid air, it was nearly dark, meaning they had to return to Hogwarts. Jaemin suddenly felt something drape around his shoulders, and looked down to see one of the Montrose Magpies scarves he bought. He glanced at Jeno, who was tying his own scarf into a neat knot. 

“One for you, one for me,” Jeno remarked somewhat breathlessly. Despite the low lighting, Jaemin could tell his cheeks and nose were pink. A voice in Jaemin’s brain whispered to him that _Jeno’s embarrassed, he’s shy about buying that scarf for you_ , and Jaemin felt like screaming. His heart jumped, but that happiness was quickly replaced with the reminder that _they were just fake dating_. They were doing this so they wouldn’t get their asses kicked off of their Quidditch teams. Jaemin quietly sighed and wrapped the scarf around himself, the warmth making him feel slightly better. He looked over at Jeno, who was blowing into his hands and rubbing them together. So Jaemin did what anyone good boyfriend would do; he took Jeno’s hand into his and tried not to laugh at the small “oh?” Jeno let out.

“Didn’t take you as the romantic type, Lee Jeno,” Jaemin teased, earning him a kick to the ankle.

“Didn’t take you to be a sugar daddy,” he quickly retorted. 

“Don’t push it, love.” Jaemin then bumped into Jeno as if to accentuate his point, laughing when Jeno squeaked in surprise. Jaemin waited for a second, then asked, “By the way, does this mean you hate me less? Were Donghyuck and Mark actually _right_ for once?”

Jaemin watched as Jeno chewed on the inside of his lip. “I guess? I mean, we’re still on the Quidditch teams right? So I guess so far this is a success?” Jaemin could tell he was getting more nervous with each word, and chose not to prod more considering how Jeno was evading the question. Jaemin wasn’t expecting years of heartache to be resolved with one date, anyways.

“Then that’s all that matters.” Jaemin leaned over and pecked him on the cheek, loving the way Jeno flushed and squeezed Jaemin’s hand just a bit tighter. “Let’s head home so we don’t get killed.”

They walked in what would’ve been a comfortable silence if it wasn’t for Jaemin’s heart, which was pounding so loudly it was ringing in his ears. Yeah, Jaemin figured this would happen. No stopping it now, though.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Jeno really wished his brain didn’t choose to follow up such a pleasant night with a nightmare. Yet there he was, wide awake at 3 A.M., shivering and heaving. It was honestly frustrating at this point, since it was over something objectively minor and that happened several years ago. Jeno figured it was being triggered by how close he was becoming with Jaemin again; it almost felt like his head was trying to warn him. 

A part of him wanted to give Jaemin a chance, to prove he’s changed since their fourth year. But at the same time, Jaemin was still just as flirty, sweet, and caring as he was then. So it was possible Jaemin could do the same thing as he did before. He could disappear from Jeno’s life again with no explanation, and leave Jeno lying in bed for nights on end wondering if Jaemin was okay, or if he was even alive. The letters just stopped coming one day, and the newspaper articles about Jaemin’s family stopped having Jaemin in them. Once they started 5th year, Jeno nearly cried from relief when he saw Jaemin for the first time, but Jaemin didn’t so much spare a glance in Jeno’s direction. It was like Jeno had become invisible, unimportant in Jaemin’s life. 

Jeno wasn’t sure he could handle that type of heartbreak again. It still stung, even now, when Na Jaemin was always next to him, giving Jeno his undivided attention. Because then again, this was all for show, and Jaemin could easily walk out of his life like he did before. Jeno let out a shuddering breath and rubbed his eyes. What Jaemin did really never made sense to him; Jaemin was objectively one of the kindest people Jeno knew, if you ignored the shambles of their current strange dynamic. It made even less sense as to why Jaemin now was okay with this whole fake dating thing when he clearly didn’t care about Jeno for half of 5th year; somewhere along the line, Jaemin decided insulting and taunting Jeno was the better alternative to avoidance. 

More than anything, Jeno wished he had someone to talk about this, whether it was Mark or even Jaemin himself. But when they started dating at the end of their fourth year, Jaemin had asked him to keep it a secret. Jeno agreed--all he really cared about was spending time with the boy who had stolen all of his attention since first year.

Now it almost felt like they were making up for lost time, with all the flirting and cuddling. Almost, if it weren’t for the fact that Jeno’s entire future depended on him not getting kicked off the team. Maybe a little dramatic, but it felt like that, and he wasn’t about to ruin his dreams over this. Jeno’s top priority would always be Quidditch, and nothing was going to change that.

Jeon figured all he really had to do was stop himself from catching any sort of feelings. Which would be hard, because yes, this was Na Jaemin he was talking about, but if he had enough self-control, it would end up alright. If he just reminded himself the fake dating was just that, fake, then he would be able to stay on the team and make both McGonagall and Gryffindor proud. 

He resolved that as soon he realized his old feelings had resurfaced, he would call off the fake dating. All the sleepless nights and crying sessions weren’t worth it. Even for Na Jaemin. Jeno had too much on the line now, and he couldn’t risk messing it up over old feelings.

Honestly, he and Jaemin were civil enough that they could call it off now, but something in him wanted to continue this. It was harmless for now, and it was nice to have someone to hold hands and cuddle with. Jeno had no intention of falling for Jaemin’s cute giggles and boyish grins, and he was planning to keep it that way.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

It had become a custom for Jaemin and Jeno to aggressively flirt with each other the morning before a Quidditch match where either Gryffindor or Slytherin were playing. Jaemin had to admit, he and Jeno were doing a spectacular job at fooling everyone that they were dating. Even McGonagall had shot them an extremely shocked look when she first saw them holding hands in the corridors. Jaemin knew he was going to get that broomstick; he was just _itching_ to get his hands on the sleek cherry wood. 

Jeno shocked him during his first match, but now that it was one of Gryffindor’s biggest matches, he knew he couldn’t lose this game they were playing. He was going to one-up Lee Jeno, even if it was the last thing he did. 

“Watch this,” he told Donghyuck, elbowing him in the ribs. Donghyuck cried out dramatically, clutching his side. Jaemin snorted, then got up and strided over to the Gryffindor table. Chenle saw him coming first, and excitedly called out loud enough for the entire table to hear him, “Look Jeno! It’s your boyfriend!” Jeno spun around as his eyes went wide, before the expression was replaced by a smug grin.

“What’s up, Na...Na. Nana.” Jeno pursed his lips in embarrassment while Jaemin chuckled. He was cute, but wasn’t going to fool anyone like that. 

Noticing Jeno’s empty lap, Jaemin slid onto it, taking Jeno by surprise. “Just wanted to wish you luck today for your game,” he purred in Jeno’s ear, pressing a kiss to his neck. He shifted his position on Jeno’s lap, noticing the way Jeno was pressing his tongue into his cheek and something was starting to press against his legs. 

“Jaemin,” Jeno softly whined, making Jaemin smirk. 

“You’re the one with a boner, love,” Jaemin quickly reminded him, and shifted again for extra measure.

“Well, you’re the one _grinding_ on my lap,” Jeno hissed back. Jaemin giggled, kissing Jeno’s temple. 

“But you’re enjoying it, clearly. You’re good, right?” Jeno gave him a small nod, which made Jaemin’s smile widen. “Come on, baby. Let’s put on a show for them.” With a wink, Jaemin leaned in to kiss Jeno, and when he noticed the other doing the same, he felt his heart leap. But he knew they couldn’t kiss in front of everyone. At least, not yet. So at the last minute, he leaned up and pecked Jeno’s nose, and cooed at the way Jeno scrunched it in response. 

“You jerk,” he complained, kicking Jaemin with his leg. Jaemin just shrugged, climbing off of Jeno’s lap.

“You gotta work for it. Win today and maybe you’ll get it,” Jaemin teased, playing with a strand of Jeno’s hair.

“Yeah, assuming I want it,” Jeno retorted, gagging.

“Yeah you do.”

Jaemin pretended not to hear Jeno’s mumble of agreement. For the sake of Jeno’s pride. And Jaemin’s sanity.

“And Gryffindor takes it! Just by 10 points, but that’s enough to beat Ravenclaw!” Chenle’s voice was drowned out by the echoing screams and cheers in the pitch, including Jaemin’s. Gryffindor was taking their victory lap around the pitch, but the entire time Jaemin couldn’t take his eyes off of Jeno as he rounded the pitch whooping and laughing. 

Before he could register what he was doing, Jaemin was at the front of the stand, screaming for Jeno. When Jeno noticed him (Jaemin guessed his pink hair helped), he flew closer to Jaemin. Jaemin noticed his heart was beginning to race, though he assumed it was from the adrenaline rush of watching such a close match.

“Hey, Jaem--” Before Jeno could finish his greeting, Jaemin had wrapped his Montrose Magpies scarf around Jeno and pulled him close. “Uh, what?” Jeno whispered, eyes blown wide. Jaemin chuckled.

“We had a deal. And you won, so…” Jaemin trailed off, glancing down at Jeno’s lips. Jeno laughed quietly, a smile dancing on his lips. Jaemin leaned forward, and if it wasn’t for Jeno, he probably would’ve fallen off the stand by now, but he doesn’t care, because holy _shit_ Lee Jeno’s kissing him and his entire body felt like it was on fire. Jaemin could’ve stood there forever, but he noticed the dying down of applause, indicating the rest of the Gryffindors had already finished their lap. 

“There’s more of that later. Prefect bathroom, midnight. Go join them.” He gestured down to the Gryffindors on the field, then back at Jeno, who was watching Jaemin with an unreadable expression. After a beat, he nodded, smiled, then flew down to the pitch. If Jaemin’s face was deep red, no one could tell by the scarf now completely wrapped around his neck and mouth (and which smelled a bit like Jeno).

Jaemin chewed on his lip as he raked his fingers through his hair, looking in the mirror. When he was walking up to the bathrooms, the clock in the corridor had said it was 11:58, and it has definitely been more than 10 minutes since then. Jaemin sighed, turning around to the door. He figured Jeno probably wasn’t coming, and it would be smarter to get sleep than to wait around for someone that won’t come. As soon as he began to walk towards the door, it burst open, revealing a very frazzled--and slightly tipsy--Jeno.

“Sorry I’m late Nana, it was hard to sneak out,” He closed the door carefully, then looked back at Jaemin. “Jaemin?” 

Jaemin sucked his lower lip between his teeth, taking in the raw beauty that was Lee Jeno. It was breathtaking, and he couldn’t waste any of his breath on useless words. Not right now, with Jeno’s flushed cheeks and wide eyes. He strode towards Jeno and caged him against the door. “Can I?” He whispered, tilting Jeno’s head upwards. Jeno nodded, licking his lips and staring at Jaemin. Jaemin closed his eyes and leaned in and felt Jeno’s lips, soft and gentle against his. Jaemin tangled a hand into Jeno’s hair, deepening the kiss. He nibbled on Jeno’s bottom lip, making him moan and tighten his grip around Jaemin’s shoulders. “You’re so pretty,” Jaemin whispered in Jeno’s ear, making Jeno shiver. “I can’t do this in the Great Hall,” a kiss on Jeno’s ear, “but you have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for this.”

Jaemin dived in again, his lips and Jeno’s moving together in sync. Jaemin pulled off Jeno’s robes from his shoulders, and Jeno paused to let them fall to his feet. He then looked back up at Jaemin, eyes half-lidded, and all Jaemin needed was that look to begin to attack Jeno’s neck with kisses. At first they were innocent, chaste ones, but increased in roughness as Jeno’s hips rolled against his. He sucked a hickey on Jeno’s collarbone, and the sound Jeno made was absolutely intoxicating and set Jaemin on a high he never thought he could reach. 

“If we didn’t have class tomorrow, I would absolutely wreck you,” Jaemin panted against Jeno’s jaw, and the shudder of pleasure that ran through Jeno’s body pooled desire deeper into his stomach.

“What’s holding you back?” Jeno murmured, pressing a wet kiss to Jaemin’s Adam’s apple. 

“My self control.” Jaemin roughly tugged Jeno’s head to touch their foreheads together, his eyes taking in every inch of Jeno he could see. A smirk slowly made its way onto Jeno’s face.

“Then lose it.” 

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Jeno would’ve thought the night before was a fever dream if it wasn’t for the nasty bruises blossoming on the side of his neck, his collarbone, and his hip bone. He never would’ve pegged Jaemin as the type to mark someone up, but remembering the look in Jaemin’s eyes as he was kissing Jeno was enough to raise goosebumps on Jeno’s arms. 

Even as he dealt with Mark and Chenle’s antics, took a shower, and got dressed, he couldn’t stop thinking about the way Jaemin had kissed his neck so softly at first, how his lips moved against Jeno’s, how fluffy his stupid bubblegum-pink hair was.

When Jaemin had seen Jeno leave for breakfast, he easily fell into step with Jeno and held his hand. “Hope you slept well, baby,” he said, kissing the back of Jeno’s hand. “Do you want some concealer to cover up those? Mine might work.” He lightly touched the deep purple mark on Jeno’s neck, but instead of feeling pain, exhilaration coursed through his body. 

“It’s okay, I can ask Mark,” Jeno replied as he closed the gap between him and Jaemin so their shoulders were touching. The closeness, however, made Jeno’s stomach cartwheel, and when Jaemin left the ghost of a kiss on his forehead with the promise to see him later, Jeno thought he was going to die. 

When Jeno forgot to eat breakfast because of how lost he was in his thoughts, which were consumed by Jaemin, he knew he had a problem. He had to uphold his 3 A.M. vow.

“I’m breaking up with Jaemin,” he announced to Mark as they were walking to Astronomy, their last class of the day. Mark paused and looked at Jeno quizzically. 

“You guys weren’t really dating in the first place, but I’m glad to see you guys so into it.” Jeno could feel his cheeks heating up, and he clutched his Astronomy parchments tighter.

“Yeah, of course, obviously.” Jeno dropped his voice to a low whisper. “Didn’t want to expose myself or anything.”

“Jeno, there’s literally no one in this corridor.” Mark raised his eyebrows as Jeno nervously chuckled.

“Yeah, I know, just making sure. Anyways! I don’t think this is working and we should stop pretending.” Jeno decided to leave out the part about him and Jaemin snogging in the Prefect bathroom last night, for obvious reasons. Mark really didn’t need to know that, and Jeno knew the raw blackmail material was enough to make Jeno give Mark his allowance for the next three months. The nasty bruise on his neck might end up selling him out, though.

“I mean, it seems a lot like you guys are getting along better. I heard your captains are happier, too, though a bit surprised about the whole dating thing. Are you just not comfortable with it? You seemed comfortable with it the last few times you guys nearly shared saliva in front of everyone.”

Jeno groaned at the vulgar way Mark described it. “I mean, yes? But also not really, I don’t know, I don’t think I really want to do this. Even for a new broom. My Air Wave works great anyways,” Jeno rambled, picking on the edge of a rolled-up parchment. Mark’s expression softened with understanding and put his hand on Jeno’s shoulder.

“You don’t need to justify your choice; sorry if it came out like that. If you want to stop, just tell him, and we can all forget about this.” _If only it was that easy._ “Just tell him first, okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, of course,” Jeno replied, shoulders sagging in relief. 

“Good. By the way, cover up that hickey; everyone’s been staring at it all day.”

Jeno groaned and mentally slapped himself. “So that’s what I forgot to ask you earlier.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll give you concealer after class. Also, did you study for the exam?”

Jeno’s mouth dropped open as he felt all the blood drain out of his face. “We have one?” 

Mark sighed. “Okay, you have,” he glanced at the grandfather clock to the right of him, “Ten minutes.” Jeno whined as he dropped all his parchments on the ground, then sat down as well, unfurling them to begin studying for something he was probably going to fail anyway.

In hindsight, Jeno didn't realize how difficult ignoring Na Jaemin would be. To be honest, he never really avoided the latter, even when they hated each other. Even after all the shit Jaemin pulled, it was almost always angry glares and lobbed insults. So Jeno didn’t miss the hurt look that flickered on Jaemin’s face when Jeno strolled right past him to walk to the Great Hall with Mark for dinner. He caught Jaemin’s longing peaks at Jeno over the shoulder of whoever he was talking to when they passed each other, no matter how sneaky Jaemin thought he was being. A part of Jeno felt guilty for avoiding him, but he absolutely couldn’t talk to Jaemin. So he assumed not talking would suffice; Jaemin would take the hint, back off, and they would be back to normal. Or not even talking, which would be fine.

Jeno tried to ignore the pang in his chest when he thought about that alternative, one where Jaemin just forgets about him.

But then again, it was Jeno who was avoiding someone that clearly wants to talk to him, so he was at fault here. He was doing this to himself, but it was for the best. Considering his track record with Jaemin, he was just making sure he wasn’t the one hurt in the end again. A somewhat miserable thought, but still necessary. 

Jaemin tried approaching Jeno the next day after classes had finished. Jeno watched with panic and a twinge of sadness as Jaemin weaved through the crowd of Gryffindors filling up the stairs to the Fat Lady’s Portrait, his green robes starkly contrasting against the sea of red ones. Jeno didn’t need to see him to know, though; he heard people whispering “Is that Na Jaemin?” “Why is he going this way?” “He’s probably trying to find his boyfriend.” “Twenty bucks he’s going to take Jeno to snog somewhere.” Nausea rose in Jeno’s throat, and he pushed through the crowd before taking a sharp left into a corridor, then hiding in an empty classroom. He slid down the wall in relief and listened as he heard Jaemin’s footsteps. Jaemin groaned, clearly frustrated, and muttered something about “dammit, Lee Jeno,” and then the footsteps faded away again. At this rate, Jeno wasn’t sure how long he could keep this up.

Of course, when Donghyuck stormed up to Jeno after supper, he knew it was game over.

“Lee Jeno, what the bloody _fuck_ are you doing you _prat_?” He glared at Jeno, who shrunk back in fear. “Why has Jaemin been looking like a kicked puppy all day?” 

Jeno nervously ran a hand through his hair and looked everywhere except in Donghyuck’s accusatory eyes. “Look, uh, I decided to call off the whole fake dating thing.” 

Donghyuck nodded. “Okay, then I guess that makes sens--”

“But Jaemin doesn’t know that,” Jeno rushed to finish. Donghyuck’s look of understanding quickly changed, and he stared at Jeno as if he had just eaten a rat. Jeno noticed Donghyuck’s right hand fidgeting with something in his robe pocket, probably his wand. And considering the way Donghyuck looked right now, Jeno wasn’t sure if it was to curse him with some hex or to stab him. 

“You dimwit. Absolute idiot,” Donghyuck finally said with a shake of his head. “He isn’t telepathic, you know. He doesn’t know you’re avoiding him because you’ve decided your fake dating stuff is over. You need to _tell_ Jaemin.” 

And that’s exactly what Jeno _didn’t_ do.

It really started to hurt a few days later, when Jeno saw Jaemin walking next to someone, a girl Jeno recognized as Tzuyu. They seemed to be engaged in a very animated conversation, with Jaemin laughing what seemed to be after every other word. The sight made Jeno’s heart clench, and he couldn’t tear his eyes away from them. Jaemin then met Jeno’s gaze. He simply blinked, his face void of emotion, then returned his focus to Tzuyu. Jaemin’s apathy was enough for Jeno to tear up, despite being completely aware that as his brain so adequately put it, “this is your own fault, dumbass.” 

It wasn’t just that interaction, though. Jeno saw them wherever he went; when he was trying to study for his Herbology exam, there they were, Jaemin giggling and looking at her as if she was the sun. When he happened to pass by the Slytherin table, she was giving him the most lovesick look Jeno’s ever seen in his life. Each time he saw them was like a knife was being driven deeper into his heart, so finally, after four days, Jeno couldn’t take it.

Mark must’ve seen something similar between Jaemin and Tzuyu, because when Jeno refused to leave his bed to come to supper, Mark didn’t prod. He only gave him an expression of quiet understanding and a promise to bring food up for Jeno, as well as an ear for Jeno to vent to.

When Jeno finally let out his feelings to Mark, he only got confirmation of what he’s been telling himself: Jeno was at blame in this situation. “You know, Hyuck was telling me the two months you guys were fake dating was the happiest he’s been in a while.” Jeno felt the nausea return, and he drew his knees into his chest for comfort. “You should at least talk to him like I said in the first place. Just clear the air and stuff. As long as you both don’t go back to yelling insults at each other during Quidditch matches.”

Jeno let himself tip back so he was curled up on his bed, his back facing Mark. He could feel Mark’s pitying look, and knew if he saw it for himself he would burst into tears.

“Jeno, you like Jaemin, right?” Jeno winced at the question and finally rolled over to see Mark’s face, expecting to see mockery. Instead, he was greeted with Mark’s patient smile and that alone was enough for the waterworks to begin.

“I don’t know,” Jeno whispered, hugging his legs even tighter. “I can’t.”

“Nothing’s stopping you, Jeno. If he makes you happy, then it’s alright.” Mark laid down next to Jeno, staring up at the ceiling. “You don’t have to pretend your feelings aren’t there.”

“But they’re not,” Jeno quickly replied, as if it was programmed into him. 

“Jeno,” Mark began, but he trailed off, letting out a breath. “This is in your field now; I can’t help you with your own feelings. I’m here to listen and offer advice and stuff, but you and I both know how you feel. If there’s one thing you can do, though, it’s to apologize to Jaemin. At the very least, you guys could be friends. Stop being a coward.”

So that’s how Jeno found himself outside of the Slytherin Dungeon twenty minutes before curfew, bouncing on the balls of his feet. Of course, he didn’t know the password, so Jeno awkwardly hung around the entrance, praying some sympathetic Slytherin would take pity on him and help Jeno find Jaemin. About five minutes later, Jeno heard the tapping of shoes against the tile floor, and snapped his head up to see Jaemin and Tzuyu walking his way with linked arms. She was giggling at something he said while Jaemin was beaming at her, clearly smitten. Jeno shifted his gaze back to his feet. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.

“Jeno?” Jeno looked up to see Jaemin studying him with furrowed brows. 

“Can I talk to you for a second?” Jeno’s eyes nervously darted between Tzuyu and Jaemin. Jaemin gave Jeno a slight nod and Tzuyu broke away from Jaemin after kissing him on the cheek. Jeno felt his stomach twisting from the sight. 

Once Tzuyu left for the Slytherin Dungeon, Jaemin turned to Jeno, waiting to hear what the latter had to say. But of course, the first thing that left Jeno’s mouth was “So you’re dating Tzuyu?” The question came out way more judgemental than he intended.

Jaemin sighed, not taking any visible offense. “Can we do this somewhere else?”

“Third floor bathroom? Filch never checks the third floor that well,” Jeno offered.

Jaemin smirked. “Sometimes I forget you’re not that much of a goody-two-shoes.”

The walk up a flight of stairs was peppered with small talk, nothing particularly interesting. Jeno spent most of his energy resisting the urge to hold Jaemin’s hand. Each time the intrusive thoughts returned, he just used them as a reminder as to why he was doing this. 

When they finally got to the bathroom, Jaemin was looking at Jeno, waiting, and Jeno wanted to shrink himself small enough to disappear. He sat on the floor against a stall, hoping to bring some stability to his shaking legs. After a minute, Jeno was finally able to say: “I’m sorry, Jaemin. I know I’m an asshole, but,” Jeno suddenly stopped and dug his hands into his hair, yanking at it. “I’m such a coward, I’m sorry. I got scared.” Jeno hugged himself, unable to will himself to look up at Jaemin. He heard Jaemin’s footsteps, then noticed Jaemin was also sitting on the ground a few feet away from him. 

“Scared of what?” Jeno looked up in surprise. He had half-expected Jaemin to either scold him, get pissed, or straight-up sprint out of the bathroom. Jaemin’s eyes bore into Jeno, and Jeno had never felt so vulnerable in his life.

“I guess I was scared of falling for you again,” Jeno muttered. He bit his lip hard enough that the metallic taste of blood began to fill his mouth. Now it was Jeno who was ready to sprint out of the bathroom.

When Jaemin replied with a quiet “I understand,” Jeno wanted to cry. “I messed up, and I don’t expect you to forgive me. I just want you to know there isn’t a day I don’t regret everything I did to hurt you.” Jeno’s heart began to race at that. “I never really expected you to give me a second chance, so I didn’t even think you’d agree to the whole fake dating thing. But it seems like even that’s over now, so we can go back to avoiding each other or something if that would be more comfortable for you.”

If there was anything Jeno was willing to admit to himself, it was that he definitely did _not_ want to go back to pretending each other didn’t exist like they did at the beginning of their 5th year. Anything felt better than that, even if it meant getting mocked and taunted endlessly.

“Do you want that?” Jeno heard himself asking. Jaemin coldly laughed, emotion clouding his eyes.

“I mean, no, but I don’t want to push my way back into your life if you don’t want me there. That’s why I didn’t want to keep trying to approach you after you made it clear you didn’t want anything to do with me. I tried pushing my way into your life before, and look where we are now.” Jaemin gestured around him to the dingy bathroom.

“We can just be friends, if you want? Just stop this fake dating stuff and stay friendly.” The word ‘friends’ tasted like poison on Jeno’s tongue, but he knew that it would be for the best. “Plus, it seems like you have something with Tzuyu. Don’t want her to get the wrong idea about us and stuff.”

“To be honest, I don’t like her like that,” Jaemin confessed, and Jeno felt guilty when relief washed over him. “I know that makes me an asshole, but hell, I needed a distraction from you.” 

“Distraction from _me_?” Jeno scooted just a bit closer to Jaemin, and tried to pretend not to notice how the tips of Jaemin’s ears turned bright red. Jaemin kicked Jeno, still not looking at him.

“Shut up,” Jaemin whined. “Forget I said that. I’ll just tell Tzuyu I don’t like her as more than a friend and get hexed, which I’ll deserve but,” Jaemin shrugged. “Nothing I can do about it besides being really apologetic, I guess.”

“Good luck, Nana. I’ll be here if anything happens. As a friend.” Jeno had to applaud himself; he was adding salt to the wound at this point, but it was a good reminder that his relationship couldn’t progress any further with Jaemin than friends at this point.

“I know you will, Jen.” Jaemin finally looked at Jeno with a warm smile. “I appreciate it.” Jaemin shifted to stand up. Jeno did want to spend one more day with Jaemin, though. Even as friends. One more day couldn’t hurt, right?

“Can I make it up to you tomorrow, though? Meet me after breakfast in the Quidditch Changing Rooms?” Jeno said.

Jaemin tapped his chin as if he was considering the idea, and for a split second Jeno was scared he would say no. But Jaemin instead just nodded, his smile widening. “See you then.”

When Jaemin left with a wave, Jeno buried his head in his hands. He, Lee Jeno, was a certified, top-notch idiot.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Jaemin deserved the earful he got from Hyunjin when he woke the latter up after tripping over his trunk and waking half of the seventh-year boys up. He also deserved the frustration and complaints he got from Tzuyu the next morning. He felt bad for leading her on and hurting her, and he knew she was being nicer than he deserved, but at this point he would take what he could get.

Jaemin had gotten to the Quidditch changing rooms embarrassingly early, so he chose to sit at the entrance and close his eyes, listening to the breeze and the chirps of birds preparing to migrate for the winter. He must’ve dozed off, because the next thing he knew, he was being shaken awake by Jeno, who was giggling. “Were you waiting for very long?” 

Jaemin shook his head. He then glanced at the broom in Jeno’s hand. “Should I have brought mine?” 

Jeno held out his free hand to help Jaemin up. “Nah. Just wondered if we could go flying together and stuff. It’s okay if you’d prefer to do something else, though.”

Jaemin broke into a wide grin. “I would love to go flying.”

Two months ago, Jaemin never thought he would find himself on the back of Jeno’s broom, clutching onto Jeno’s waist for dear life as he swooped and dived around Hogwarts’ towers. Jeno would take a turn here and there way sharper than he needed to, probably because he wanted to hear Jaemin shriek in fright and unleash a stream of curses. “What do you _gain_ from this, Lee Jeno,” Jaemin huffed out after they had landed on the Astronomy Tower to take a quick break.

“Entertainment,” Jeno replied with a mischievous smirk. 

“From my fear?” Jaemin whined as he crossed his arms, glaring at Jeno in mock anger. Jeno simply shrugged, then returned his attention to his broom. Jaemin walked over to him, then placed his chin on his shoulder; it should be fine, since he and Donghyuck would do that to each other all the time. “Whatcha doing?” Jaemin asked. He thought it was a friendly gesture, so how come he heard Jeno’s breath catch in his throat?

“Just making you didn’t bend my beautiful broom with your fat ass. I’ve seen how many Treacle Tarts you eat.” Jeno turned towards Jaemin and stuck his tongue out at Jaemin, who gave him an exaggerated pout. And there they were, back to normal. Just two friends joking around. Friends, right. Because Jaemin was so lucky as to be completely friendzoned by Lee Jeno, the stupid Gryffindor he had been in love with since first year.

Jaemin then wrapped his right arm around Jeno to grab for his broom. Jeno, who was still smugly looking at Jaemin, lost his composure for a second. “My turn,” Jaemin cheerfully sang, grabbing the shaft of the broom. Jeno huffed, then slackened his grip on the broom, allowing Jaemin to pull it to his side. He threw a leg over the broom, then used his head to gesture behind him. “Climb on.” Jeno did so before wrapping his arms around Jaemin’s waist.

“If you hurt my broom in any way, you’re a dead man,” Jeno told Jaemin with complete sincerity. Jaemin giggled and leaned his head back so he and Jeno were eye-to-eye.

“Don’t you trust me?” Jaemin asked, smiling brightly.

“I’ll personally push you off the broom if you don’t fly off this tower now,” Jeno threatened in response and gave Jaemin a little kick.

Jaemin sighed dramatically and focused on the empty blue sky in front of him. “So impatient.” Jaemin leaned forward, and the broom lifted off the stone tower. “We’re flying _my_ way.”

Jaemin’s way of flying wasn’t nearly as risky and adrenaline-inducing as Jeno’s. He prefered to glide with the breeze, to gently curve around buildings and barely sweep treetops so that the leaves would brush against his feet. Jaemin swooped around the spectator stands of the Quidditch Pitch, and the familiar motions felt therapeutic to him. He heard Jeno let out a small sigh, and looked back at Jeno, slightly dejected. “What, is this not exciting enough for thrill-seeking Lee Jeno?”

“Where are the turns, the speed, the _action_ ,” Jeno asked, poking Jaemin’s cheeks. Jaemin snorted, looking back ahead so he could change direction towards the Great Lake.

“Just close your eyes,” Jaemin instructed. “Flying isn’t only speeding as fast and high as you can.” Jaemin snuck a glance at Jeno, who did as he was told. Jeno scooted a bit closer to Jaemin so he could rest his head on Jaemin’s shoulder, his hair tickling Jaemin’s neck. Jaemin felt himself heat up, and for a second almost wavered on the broom before steadying himself. When he made it to the lake, he flew so close that he hovered right above the translucent, blue water. Jaemin smiled at the myriad of magical creatures he saw under the surface, from Grindylows to Selkies. “Jen,” Jaemin softly whispered. “Don’t fall asleep on me yet.”

“Huh?” Jeno sleepily blinked before looking at Jaemin with such an adorable smile that Jaemin’s words got stuck in his throat. 

“Look down,” Jaemin told him, pointing his toe towards the water. Jeno did so and let out an audible gasp.

“It’s so pretty, Nana,” he breathed against Jaemin’s neck, still hugging Jaemin close. 

“They’re all just going about their day, not bothered by anything happening around them. The sun’s shining, the water is calm, they’re happy.” Jaemin smiled down at the creatures; watching them from above the surface always made him appreciate life a bit more. “I’m gonna bring you back to Hogwarts, okay?” Jeno hummed in reply, his eyes half-lidded. “Merlin, we’re a mess; first I fall asleep and now you.” 

Jaemin should’ve known flying with a half-asleep Jeno clinging onto him would’ve been a bad idea. Like the idiot he was, Jaemin kept glancing over at Jeno. The sight was too cute to handle, and seeing Jeno seem so at peace and comfortable was enough to distract Jaemin from flying properly. And because of this distracted flying, he didn’t notice he was careening towards the center of the practice field until Jeno’s eyes flew open and he screamed “Jaemin, look out!”

Jaemin’s first instinct was to save Jeno, and then the broomstick, so like the intellectual he was, as soon as he was about to make contact with the ground, he wrapped his arms around Jeno and jumped off the broom, which landed with a _thunk_ a few feet away from them. He let himself take the brunt of the force, tumbling until he landed on his back. That was going to leave a nasty mark.

“Shit, Jaemin, are you okay?” Was the first thing that left Jeno’s lips. Jeno wriggled in Jaemin’s embrace, then sat up, which only made Jaemin groan, since the rest of him was so sore from the fall.

“I’m absolutely begging you, _please_ lie back down or I’m going to die,” Jaemin hissed, staring up at the sky in pain. Jeno settled himself onto the grass next to Jaemin, still facing him. “Your broom’s okay, by the way.” Jaemin gestured in the general direction of where it was, and must’ve pointed to the right place because Jeno lit up.

“My hero,” Jeno teased, kissing the tip of Jaemin’s nose. Jaemin’s brain went into overdrive; this was normal for friendships, right? But was this normal for Lee Jeno in friendships? Jaemin didn’t think so. Jaemin was too sore to think about this right now, so he pushed the invasive thoughts to the back of his mind. He could figure it out later.

“Bloody right I am,” Jaemin cockily replied with a wink. Jeno giggled, and Jaemin noticed the gap between them was much, much less than it was a mere two minutes ago. Jeno then wrapped his arms around Jaemin, not breaking eye contact the entire time. Jeno leaned in and pressed a sloppy kiss to Jaemin’s lips. 

“You’re a stupid hero,” he mumbled, snuggling into Jaemin’s chest and tangling their legs together. Jaemin’s cheeks heated up; what happened to Jeno’s very adamant ‘just friends’ thing he was going on about the day before? Because as far as Jaemin knew, ‘friends’ didn’t kiss each other; he asked Donghyuck to teach him how to kiss before the latter started dating Mark, and it ended with Donghyuck turning Jaemin into a frog and throwing him into the courtyard.

“Jeno,” Jaemin gently prodded, poking at the boy next to him. “I don’t think you want to do this; we talked about this.” 

“Lemme sleep. Couldn’t sleep last night,” was Jeno’s hummed reply as he curled up in Jaemin’s arms.

“Jeno, let’s get you to your house to take a nap, okay?” Jeno didn’t reply; based on the rhythmic rising and falling of Jeno’s chest, it was clear he had fallen asleep. 

Getting up without disturbing Jeno was difficult. Carrying Jeno on his back and Jeno’s broom in a hand was difficult. But getting into the school without any questions was going to be damn near impossible. Jaemin knew it didn’t look too good for him to be carrying Jeno on his back, his supposed ex. But he didn’t have any choice, so Jaemin trudged into the school, hoping to avoid as many people as possible. It was Saturday, so most people should be lounging in their common rooms and dorms.

Mark raised his eyebrows comically high when he saw Jaemin enter the Gryffindor common room with a sleeping Jeno on his back, but Jaemin didn’t feel like putting in the effort to explain everything. He just tucked in Jeno, who was drowsily begging for him to stay, then pressed a light kiss on Jeno’s forehead. He left wordlessly, but he could feel Mark’s gaze on his back until he exited through the portrait. He was going to have some questions to answer later.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Jeno woke up with no knowledge of how he ended up in his plush Gryffindor bed. He was tucked in very neatly, which was strange; usually he just threw the sheets over himself and went to bed, but someone had taken the time to make sure the blankets covered him snugly. Jeno rubbed his eyes and sat up, then quickly became aware of another issue: he was still wearing his robes. And Jeno knew that no matter how tired he was, he would _never_ sleep with his robes on. 

Jeno left the dorm to walk down to the common room. He saw Mark coming up the stairs, so he decided asking Mark would be the best option to find out what happened. “Mark,” he called out, leaning against the banister. “Who brought me here?” 

“Jaemin,” Mark replied with a one-sided smirk. “Care to tell me what exactly your relationship with him is?” Jeno fidgeted, feeling slightly betrayed because it wasn’t his intention to be put on the spot like that.

“Can we talk in a room or something?” Jeno instead asked, pointing in the direction of where he just came from. Mark gave him a nod then walked into the room, Jeno following him like a kicked puppy.

Mark sat on Jeno’s bed and propped himself up with his arms. He was observing Jeno so intently that Jeno had to scoot back a bit from him, feeling just a bit intimidated. “You told him you just want to be friends, didn’t you.”

Jeno winced and let himself fall onto his bed, not having the energy to sit up straight. “Why would you think that?”

“Because you’re the type of idiot to put yourself in the friendzone.” Jeno groaned and flipped over so he could bury his head in his now-messy covers. 

“I don’t like him,” Jeno mumbled, fully aware the blankets were muffling his voice. But Mark was close enough that he could make out what Jeno said regardless.

“You’re stupid, Jeno,” Mark deadpanned. Jeno blindly searched for his pillow to the left of him, and when he found it, he launched it at Mark with as much force as he could muster. “Oh, and immature.” Jeno turned over so he was on his back again and huffed.

“The issue isn’t if I like him or not, the issue is that I _can’t_ like him,” Jeno explained, covering his face with his hands. He let out an obnoxiously loud groan which prompted Mark to slam Jeno’s pillow on his face.

“Is there anything holding you back? Is there someone leaning over your shoulder and going like ‘Blimey, Jeno! You can’t like Jaemin!’”

“Yes, my conscience,” was Jeno’s reply as he squeezed the pillow--which now had feathers leaking out of some hole--to soothe himself.

“Well, what’s wrong with liking him?” Mark’s voice became soft and his brows furrowed. He craned his neck to study Jeno, who was looking everywhere except at Mark.

“It’s kinda complicated and stupid,” Jeno muttered into his pillow, earning him a hard punch from Mark.

“So?” Jeno glanced up at Mark and expected him to look angry, or even judgemental, but he looked genuinely curious as if he didn’t understand why Jeno was refusing to explain what was on his mind. Jeno let out a breath and bit his lip.

Jeno had never told the story of his strange four-month-long romance with Jaemin that ended them where they were now, but it was surprisingly difficult. He caught himself tearing up several times, and had to stop when he noticed Mark was staring off in space with slightly murderous intent. When Jeno finished with a quiet “what are you thinking,” Mark let out a sigh and ran a hand through his hair, considerably less upset and more pensive. 

“I’m thinking that you should give him another chance. Hear me out for a second.” Mark looked down at Jeno, who gave him a nod. “What Jaemin did was a huge dick move, but you’re right, it’s not really like him to do that. I haven’t known him for as long as you nor as well, but I know the guy is too nice to intentionally do anything to hurt someone else. There’s probably more on his part than you’d expect. Plus, you said he felt bad, right?” Jeno nodded again. “I think you should trust him on that. I know it’s easier said than done, but that’s what I’m thinking. Plus, you’re only gonna be more miserable if you keep lying to yourself about how you feel.” Mark smiled gently at Jeno. “Sometimes the best things in life require a risk, y’know.” 

Jeno chuckled and rolled his eyes. “Don’t get all deep on me; when did you get so mature anyways?” 

Mark shrugged in reply. “One of us had to be the mature one, and it sure as hell wasn’t gonna be you.”

“You’re annoying,” Jeno grumbled. “But thanks, really. That helped a lot.”

“Yeah, I’m sure it did. So stop being an idiot and start actually acting on your feelings. And also, get out, Hyuck’s coming soon.” Mark pushed Jeno’s shoulder and Jeno wrinkled his nose.

“Nasty,” Jeno groaned, pulling himself to a standing position. 

“It would be worse if you were here,” Mark supplied with a smirk. 

“Merlin, you both are gross.” Jeno threw a pillow at Mark, who easily blocked it. He waved to Mark over his shoulder as he walked out of the dorm. Just before he pulled the door close, Jeno called out to Mark, “You still owe me a broomstick!” He pretended not to hear Mark’s indignant sputters from behind the door. It looked like him and Donghyuck’s plan would be a ‘2-for-1 deal’ as the muggles would say. And Jeno wasn’t complaining at all.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Christmas time in Hogwarts was always a beautiful, magnificent one. Snow coated the ground and the sloping roofs, with decorations hung up in every corner of the enormous castle. The festivities made Hogwarts feel like the coziest place in the world. After all, it _was_ the coziest place in the world for Jaemin. With garlands and wreaths and lights surrounding him, who could blame Jaemin for thinking like that? 

Once break started, though, it sometimes got a bit lonely. He never went home for the holidays like most students did. Jeno usually did, so he figured this break would be the same as always; sprawling out on the Slytherin Dungeon floor and just daydreaming to escape from the world. That sounded nice about now, actually. So Jaemin spun on his heel—the library could wait—and headed down to the Dungeons. 

“Jaemin!” Jaemin stopped, wrinkling his brow. He must be spending too much time dreaming; he has to be hearing things because there was absolutely _no_ way that was Jeno’s voice. Jaemin sighed to himself, then resumed his trek. Suddenly, a weight launched itself onto his back, nearly giving him a heart attack. He let out a yelp as he heard giggles. 

“Jeno, shit, you scared me,” Jaemin whined. Judging from the next bout of giggles, Jeno clearly couldn’t care less. “Don’t you usually go home for break?” 

“Yeah, but didn’t this year. Mum and Dad are busy, no point. Where are you going?” 

“Slytherin Dungeon.” Jaemin looped his arms underneath Jeno’s legs to stabilize him.

“Why? It’s so cold down there. Come to Gryffindor at least.” Jeno leaned his head onto Jaemin’s back. “Pleasee?”

Jaemin huffed. “Fine. 

They walked in a comfortable silence, the halls empty except for them and the occasional student. Jaemin watched out the window as the snow gently fell, coating the ground.

“Don’t you miss them, Nana?”

“Huh?” Jaemin snapped his head towards Jeno, who was watching him curiously. “What do you mean?” They came to a stop in front of the Fat Lady’s portrait. Jeno quickly supplied the password before she could even ask, making her sigh dramatically as she swung open. Jaemin dropped Jeno in the entrance, who let out a whine. “You can walk yourself, stupid.”

“Yeah, but you’re more comfortable,” Jeno replied with a pout. Jaemin just rolled his eyes, trying to hide a smile.

“Obviously.”

When they climbed into the common room, Jaemin smiled at the cozy sight. He sat on the floor in front of the warm fire, Jeno sitting next to him. 

“What I meant earlier, Nana,” Jeno continued, and Jaemin could feel his gaze. Truth be told, he knew what Jeno was talking about, but he couldn’t bear to look at Jeno when talking about it. There was no avoiding the topic, either. “Don’t you ever miss your parents?”

Jaemin dryly laughed despite himself. “Never.” Out of the corner of his eye, he watched as Jeno frown, not taking his eyes off of Jaemin.

“I know you and them never really got along, but don’t you love them? Don’t you miss them at times?”

Jaemin now allowed himself to scoff at that. “No, I don’t love them. I don’t miss them, either. They didn’t love me, never really did. They told me they can’t love a gay son and called me a freak. I don’t think that’s what love is, Jeno.” Jaemin finally looked over at Jeno, whose face was pale. “They didn’t care when I left; they just told everyone they sent me away to school in France where it would be too much of a hassle to bring me home.”

“So, they kicked you out of your house?” His voice was quiet, shocked. 

“I mean, in a sense. Kinda kicked myself out. Not the smartest thing, but hey, don’t regret it, I guess.” Jaemin fidgeted with his robes, internally counting the number of loose threads on his left sleeve as he played with them. _Three._

“Jaemin, what the hell?” The words were harsher than Jeno’s tone, which seemed to be getting quieter with each reply. “Why didn’t you tell me any of this?”

Jaemin watched the red embers of the flames dance in front of him, pulling off one of the few threads he was fiddling with. He rolled the thread between his forefinger and thumb. Part of him really didn’t want to be here, next to Lee Jeno, having this conversation, but it was long overdue. Finally, he answered. “Because you hated me, Jen.”

Jaemin heard Jeno sharply inhale. He glanced over to see Jeno tuck his knees into his chest, and laying his head on them. “You know I could never really hate you.” 

Jaemin shook his head. “You should’ve, though. You had every right to. I mean,” Jaemin paused to chuckle bitterly, “I hated myself for what happened. I saw how much it hurt you, even though you thought I didn’t notice.” Jaemin yanked at another string, now fidgeting with two green threads. 

“I guess, but I was mostly hurt because of how sudden it was. We were talking so much, and then out of nowhere, you just stopped replying. You never told me why, and you would avoid me at school whenever I tried to talk to you.” Jeno let out a drawn out breath, and the two stared at the burning fire in an awkward silence.

“They told me they would hurt you,” Jaemin finally whispered, balling the two threads in a fist. He clenched and unclenched it, trying to distract himself from the tears swarming his vision. “They found out about the letters mid-July and said if I didn’t stop talking to you, they would ruin you. I wasn’t sure how, but they have a lot of pull in the Ministry and I didn’t want to find out. I packed all my stuff and left the day before school. Haven’t gone back since then. They cut off my spending so I’ve just been relying on my savings and some pocket change I’ve made here and there.” Jaemin tore off the final thread on his left sleeve, and balled them up in his now-clammy palm. “I missed you though. I thought some attention from you was better than none at all. I didn’t want you to forget about me, so I was an asshole. I’m sorry, Jeno. I wanted you to be okay but ended up fucking everything up.”

“Jaemin,” Jeno began, and the tenderness of his voice was enough to make Jaemin tear up again, and he felt the wetness on his cheeks before he registered that he was crying. “Minnie, Jaemin,” Jeno trailed off, and from what Jaemin could make out from his blurry vision, Jeno was standing up, then sat back down in front of him. Soft hands came in contact with his face, and Jaemin watched as Jeno gingerly wiped away the tears rolling down his cheeks. “You were always too caring, weren’t you? Never the pureblood Slytherin your parents wanted you to be.” Jeno laughed, combing through Jaemin’s bangs before caressing his cheeks. “You’ve been keeping this in for three years, baby, why did you do this to yourself?”

“So did you,” Jaemin mumbled, leaning into Jeno’s touch. “I fucked up.”

“Hey, I did too. We’re even. It’s alright.” Jeno smiled gently at Jaemin, who sniffled with flushed cheeks. Jeno took Jaemin’s balled fists into his hands, then rubbed them until Jaemin finally unclenched his fists, three green strings falling out of his left fist. “Do you trust me?”

“More than anyone,” Jaemin murmured, his tears finally subsiding. 

“Then trust me when I say you’re okay. We’re okay. I promise.” Jeno pressed a kiss to Jaemin’s forehead. Jaemin then tugged his hands down so that Jeno fell into his lap. Jaemin stared at him, trying to take in every detail of Jeno, his messy hair and twinkling eyes and little smile dancing on his lips. 

“What’re you looking at?” Jeno’s cheeks were a slight red in the fireplace light, and Jaemin made sure to remember that detail too.

“You, obviously,” Jaemin replied with a sarcastic roll of his eyes. “Don’t wanna forget what you look like right now. I don’t want to lose you again, Jeno.”

“I’m not going anywhere, Nana.” Jeno lightly kissed Jaemin’s cheek, taking in the saltiness of Jaemin’s cheeks mingling with his warmth.

“Good, because Mark and Hyuck still owe us broomsticks,” Jaemin teased with a smile to relieve the tension. It worked because Jeno easily grinned in return with a giggle.

“Yeah, and you owe me a proper kiss,” Jeno replied, touching his forehead to Jaemin’s. 

“Trust me, I’ll give you all the kisses you want,” Jaemin assured him and wrapped his arms around Jeno.

“Good, because we have to make up for lost time.” Jeno leaned forward and captured Jaemin’s lips. For a second, they were back in the empty Divination classroom during 4th year, sharing their first kiss. It was just as sweet as it was then, but not as restrained. There was no lingering uncertainty in the back of Jaemin’s head, no fear. It was just Jeno, pure and warm and loving. And Jaemin figured that was all he really needed. And judging from the twinkle in Jeno's eyes when they finally pulled away, he figured he was all Jeno really needed as well.

**Author's Note:**

> thank u for reading ! appreciate you taking the time to read my lil fic !! I hope you enjoyed it <33  
> comments and kudos are always always appreciated ^^
> 
> visit me on [twt](https://twitter.com/jisunflwer) or [cc](https://curiouscat.me/jisunflwr)


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